UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM 2020 STANFORD BIO-X UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM 2019 Undergraduate Summer Research Program (USRP) Participants The outbreak of COVID-19 has placed tremendous and unanticipated pressures on individuals and organizations around the world. The Stanford community, with its unique culture of collaboration and innovation, has risen to the challenge. Faculty, students, and staff from countless departments have come together and pooled resources to provide new insights by studying the virus, analyzing and predict- ing its spread, and diligently researching tests and treatments. Stanford has also hosted numerous virtual conferences attended by thousands worldwide. Facing the pandemic head-on, for the 16th year of our Stanford Bio-X Undergraduate Summer Research Program, we have successfully adapted the program to allow for a vibrant, valuable, and fulfilling virtual undergraduate experience, maintaining our com- mitment to sharpening students’ research skills and techniques despite the distance. The Stanford Bio-X USRP has provided a ten-week summer research opportunity to a total of 708 students to date. We have partnered with 303 Stanford faculty mentors to provide this one-of-a-kind educational opportunity to these passionate young researchers. Our 2020 cohort of 66 students and 5 student mentors and their respective laboratories have adjusted the students’ projects so that their research can be conducted long-distance. Bio-X has sustained the hallmarks of our summer program in a virtual format so that students can participate live from home. Numerous workshops throughout the spring and summer quarters explore a variety of research-related skills, including analyzing manuscripts, formulating scientific questions, designing experiments, preparing posters, and more. Our weekly faculty talks expose students to the broad range of scientific fields and research that takes place at Stanford. The program will culminate with stu- dents designing posters detailing the progress of their summer work, giving them the opportunity to refine their skills at both visual and verbal research presentation. Stanford Bio-X has also created a variety of additional programming to support and enhance this cohort’s experience. Recognizing that data science, bioinformatics, and computational work have only become more valuable in a time of social distancing, Page 2 we have developed a programming and statistics bootcamp to give our students an academic and professional edge. A wet lab learning series teaches specific wet-lab techniques through weekly group discussions led by experienced researchers so that students are prepared once they can work in labs again. A series of journal clubs facilitates critical thinking among the students as they collaborate in small groups and lead discussions about journal articles. Similarly, peer share meetings will encourage the cohort to share ideas and practice disseminating their research to peers from varying backgrounds, as well as helping them to network with one another. Bio-X remains committed to fostering a strong interdisciplinary training for these up-and-coming scientists, and we are excited to use our new and adapted curric- ulum to ensure that each of our undergrads will have a fulfilling virtual summer which enhances their research skills and helps prepare them for future careers in science and medicine. Funding for the support of our program was provided by generous contributions from the Paramitas Foundation, The Rose Hills Foundation, Pitch and Cathie Johnson, Vicky and David Rogers, Brian and Karen Mariscal in honor of Judy Pin- sker-Smith, Stanford Bio-X, and Anonymous Donors. 2011 Undergraduate Summer Research Program (USRP) Participants Page 3 2020 FACULTY TALKS FOR THE STANFORD BIO-X UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAM June 24 July 29 Kathleen Sakamoto (Pediatrics - Hematology & Brian Hargreaves (Radiology), “Medical imaging for Oncology), “Signaling pathways in the pathogen- orthopedic injuries” esis and treatment of blood diseases” Carolyn Bertozzi (Chemistry), “Therapeutic op- Erin Gibson (Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences), portunities in glycoscience” “Mechanisms of myelination from development Tony Wyss-Coray (Neurology & Neurological to disease” Sciences), “Young blood for old brains” John Pringle (Genetics), “Using a small sea anemone in the lab to learn about reef-building August 5 corals” Kristy Red-Horse (Biology), “Development of the coronary vasculature of the heart” July 1 Cara Bohon (Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences), Jonas Cremer (Biology), “Bacterial growth dy- “Bridging the gap between neuroscience and clini- namics in the human large intestine” cal research in eating disorders” David Kingsley (Developmental Biology), “Fishing Ron Davis (Biochemistry and Genetics), “How for the secrets of vertebrate evolution” to initiate a research program on an unexplored Ravindra Majeti (Medicine - Hematology), “Ther- major disease” apeutic Targeting of the Macrophage Immune Checkpoint CD47 in AML” August 12 Andrew Fire (Pathology and Genetics), “Genetic July 8 change as an adventure” Carolyn Lee (Dermatology), “Identifying novel Ivan Soltesz (Neurosurgery), “Organization and cancer genes in skin malignancies” control of neuronal circuits” Sharon Pitteri (Radiology), “Exploiting aberrant Markus Covert (Bioengineering), “From single-cell glycosylation in cancer” heterogeneity to population behaviors: a systems Raag Airan (Radiology), “Nanoparticle-mediated approach” ultrasonic drug uncaging” August 19 July 15 Thomas Südhof (Molecular & Cellular Physiology), Roger Kornberg (Structural Biology), “Human “Deconstructing synapse formation, one molecule chromosome structure” at a time” John Huguenard (Neurology & Neurological David Myung (Ophthalmology), “Bioengineered Sciences), “Switching brain states in epilepsy” therapies for corneal reconstruction and regener- Mary Hynes (Biology), “Widespread differential ation” expression of 3’ UTR and cognate coding region Thomas Clandinin (Neurobiology), “Dissecting sequences in neurons and other tissues” the architecture of visual processing circuits in Drosophila” July 22 Hadi Hosseini (Psychiatry & Behavioral Scienc- August 26 es), “Connectomics: implications in health and Frank Longo (Neurology & Neurological Sciences), disease” “Modulating p75 neurotrophin receptor signaling Brian Kobilka (Molecular & Cellular Physiolo- as a therapeutic strategy for Huntington’s disease” gy), “Structural insights into G protein coupled Shirit Einav (Medicine - Infectious Diseases and receptor activation” Microbiology & Immunology), “Capturing tissue Benjamin Good (Applied Physics), “Statistical heterogeneity to better understand viral infection physics of evolving microbial communities” and pathogenesis” Vittorio Sebastiano (Obstetrics & Gynecology), “Dissecting the role of TBX1 in 22q11 deletion syndrome” Page 4 Stanford Bio-X Undergraduate Summer Research Program Alumni: Countless students who have participated in the Stanford Bio-X Undergraduate Summer Research Program have indicated that the experience changed the course of their time at Stanford and influenced their future careers. Alumni of the program are extremely successful. They have gone on to: • pursue doctorates and medical degrees all over the world, at dozens of institutions • become faculty members in the sciences at leading universities and hospitals • publish in high-impact journals including Cell, Science, Nature, Nature Medicine, Neuron, PNAS, and dozens more • receive awards and scholarships like NSF Graduate Fellowships, the Rhodes Scholarship, the Churchill Scholarship, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, the Soros Fellowship for New Americans, the David M. Kennedy Honors Thesis Prize, the Firestone Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Research, and countless others • accept exciting positions in industry and beyond, at dozens of biotech, pharmaceutical, and health- care companies • started their own companies, including NeuCures, Diffeo, Taste, Epitoire Biosciences, Fancy That, Benchling, Stronger Brains, and many other innovative startups at the intersection of science, technol- ogy, and health 2015 USRP Participant Kazuomori Lewis in Dr. Sarah Heilshorn’s lab Alumni Comments: “My participation in Bio-X has both ignited and fueled my interest in interdisciplinary studies. This program has provided me not only with just fundamental experiences in the lab, but also with a community that has supported my curiosity spanning across the fields of physics, developmental biology, oncology, and biomedical research.” —2019 Student Mentor and 2018 USRP Participant Anaïs Tsai “Bio-X was an unparalleled opportunity to dive deep into… research while simultaneously exploring a wide range of other topics through weekly talks given by some of the most innovative researchers in the world.” —2019 USRP Participant Brandon Bergsneider “It was truly amazing to spend two summers at Stanford working on research. I just graduated, receiving the Terman Scholastic Award, and [my] honors thesis including the research that I worked on over both summers... [won] the Kenne- dy Prize and Firestone Medal (as well as the CS department’s Wegbreit Prize)! This would not have been possible without the Bio-X summer program.” —2018 and 2019 USRP Participant Maya Varma “I really enjoyed my Bio-X experience, and I learned a lot through participating in the program. I found a love for research that I will continue pursuing in the future... My PI from that summer is still one of my mentors.” —2017